Breach - Fatherless

Breach - Fatherless
A world prone to anthems, bass music tends to find one track to revolve around every few months, one universal hit that gets rinsed and thoroughly wringed by every DJ spanning dubstep, funky and everything in between. Steadily bubbling for most of 2010, UK jack-of-all-trades Ben Westbeech's "Fatherless" (produced under his new guise Breach) may not have quite achieved this status yet, but to say it deserves to is an understatement.

"Fatherless" instantly hooks, its unforgettable flute loop chopped and diced in real time as the pseudo-tribal percussion beats ominously underneath. Its true genius lies in its catharsis: For something touted as one of the biggest bangers of 2010, it's awfully tense. Taking almost two whole minutes to get going, the understated atmosphere turns menacing as flute trills swarm and overwhelm before forming themselves into that familiar whiplash riff as the pounding beat finally enters. UK funky man of the moment Doc Daneeka remixes the track into something more conventionally mixable, forgoing much of the tension in favour of flatlining the beat. Its potential as a DJ tool can be seen in action in any number of contemporary sets and podcasts, and the dual pinion of the chunky bassline and hyperactive percussion is effective to say the least.

"Man Up" is a remarkably solid partner to "Fatherless," sprinkling Latin-flavoured vocal samples over a rambunctious beat that feels forcefully restrained by a thumping kick. But make no mistake, this might as well be a one-sided 12-inch. "Fatherless" is immense. When you hear that foreboding cloud of warning flute whistles, the first instinct should be to run—either far, far away or straight to the dance floor.